Peter Pan BMW -> Good service - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

jdh · 20th May 2003, 01:25

A couple weeks back I posted about a negative experience I had with my 1200mi service at Peter Pan BMW as they would not include an oil change as specified in our Service and Warranty booklet, calling it a BMW misprint.

I was pretty peeved and wrote so here. Based on this thread the Service and Parts Manager, Dana Caldwell, contacted me. He's the boss of the service manager I was dealing with, and to his credit was disappointed that I'd had a bad experience (as well as displeased to have it advertised to the bmwm5.com community!) and I was appreciative that he at least gave my complaint a hearing. He also clarified my suspicion that dealers were caught in the middle -- BMW promises you the oil change, then tells the dealers they won't reimburse them for it -- what's a dealer to do?

Dana actually raised it up to BMWNA and fought for them to live up to it, and BMW's agreed to refund what I paid for the oil change. It's pretty clear that my posting in this forum was the catalyst for that -- both to get Dana's attention and then to get BMW's attention -- so hat's off to the forum, as always. Also to PPBMW for fighting for this -- I'll definitely go back there for my next service.

Josh

Bluewater M5 · 20th May 2003, 02:00

Josh, I am glad to hear that your problem was resolved. Peter Pan has been known to have the better service when compared to the other bay area dealers. This is the consensus with most of the local board members. Now to answer you question about what a dealer should do when they are stuck between a customer and BMWNA not paying?? Suck it up and do it for the customer. Many other dealers have done it for other members without asking. The bottom line should be that the dealer should take the hit if they are not being reimbursed for it. Now you know the power of this board.

Gustav · 20th May 2003, 02:50

Nice, good ending and the most appropriate ending

Good work BMW NA

kwalls · 20th May 2003, 13:57

Josh
Glad that the issue concerning your oil change has been resolved.
Concerning the question -- what's a dealer to do?

I agree with another post that they should suck it up. While I don't believe in a free lunch either, I think it is only right when you look at the bigger picture.

Please don't take my comments as being directed to Peter Pan, but if you consider the standard business practices of dealers in general, they have already built enough profit into everything else they do to cover the low number of M cars that should get this service.

BMWNA and the dealer network already have lower their costs by recommending 5w-30 oil instead of the more expensive oil used in Europe and I suspect that they purchase both in bulk at a discount from what they charge you and I.

I guess there becomes a limit to what is acceptable and in this case the dealer did the right thing since a unhappy customer will probably not use their services again. No sales, no chance for future profit

greg · 20th May 2003, 17:51

I am really, really pleased to hear this. Thanks for letting us know. It is a fact that people complain in public 10x more than they praise - so we often get led to the wrong conclusions if we dont' keep that in mind.

In this case, (and being a P.P. customer) I'm especially glad to hear that Dana responded. It may well have been the exposure on the board, but he did the right thing, and next time he may even be inclined to do it sooner.

jdh · 20th May 2003, 19:39

re: Greg's comment -- I agree. Having run my own company, I frequently felt that there were a large number of people with an axe to grind mixed in with the people who complained legitimately, and was always frustrated that all of our happy customers generally kept their mouth shut.

To be fair to Dana, I did not raise my complaint above the Service Manager level at the time -- I didn't understand the hierarchy and it seemed that if I was talking to the Service Manager that he was the guy.